If you have a cat that isn’t fixed then you probably know all about how annoying they can be when they go into heat. If your cat hasn’t been in heat yet then reading this article will help you prepare for when the time comes. In this article I will help you learn more about the heat cycle of a cat, what to expect, and how to make things easier on you and your cat during this time! When a cat is “in heat” it means that she is in the fertile period of her reproductive cycle. The medical term for this is known as Oestrus.
A cat goes into heat once they have sexually matured. A cat’s first season of going into heat usually occurs somewhere between four and ten months, with the average being six months. I own a Maine coon and she started during her tenth month. It is also very common for certain breeds of cats such as the Siamese or Burmese to begin at the early age of four months, seeing as they are very precocious creatures to begin with. Once your cat is in heat they will stay that way anywhere from four to ten days, most cases last for at least seven however.
Unless your cat mates she will continue to go into heat about every two to three weeks. Unless you are planning on breeding your cat you should get her spayed once she is at least six months old because if a cat goes into heat too many times without becoming pregnant they will be more prone to health risks such as developing cancer of the reproductive organs or other deadly diseases affecting things such as the uterus. It is best to have your cat fixed. Some people that don’t mind the thought of having kittens think that letting their cat outside is a good idea. However this is a dangerous thing for your cat.
Simply letting your cat wander outdoors and become pregnant by a unknown male cat puts her at risk of catching a number of diseases such as FIV. FIV stands for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus. It is a disease that can affect all felines whether it be a house cat or a cheetah. FIV belongs to the same viral family as HIV, but is only contagious to other cats as HIV is only contagious to other humans. FIV does not lead to worse disease in cats as HIV leads to Aids in humans. However at this time like HIV there is no cure for it and it can lead to secondary infections. The highest levels of FIV are found in the saliva of infected cats. This is why FIV is so easily passed amongst stray cats. When cats mate, the male cat mounts the female cat and bites her. Cats can also contract it from mutually grooming with infected cats. This is why it is wise to not let your female cat out during her heat cycle.
So now that we know when cats go in heat and how to keep our cats safe, next we need to know the signs of a heat cycle. Any or all of the following signs may be an indication that your little kitten has begun her transformation into a cat. One of the first things you may notice about your cat is that she will become much more affectionate. She may beg for your attention and rub her body against you or the furniture around the house. She may rub her face and nose against you or brush you with her tail. If she rolls around on the floor a lot playfully or rolls around a lot meowing a low meow, this is a sign that you are in for an interesting couple of days. Your cat will be a lot more vocal then usual and will probably meow a lot. In cat terms this is referred to as “calling”. My cat doesn’t get too loud, but you may notice that your cat may become very loud with piercing yowls day and night.
When a cat is in heat they also tend to carry themselves differently. You may notice your cat carrying her tail to the side or sticking her butt up in the air a lot. When you cat does this she is “assuming the position” during this your cat will position her front quarters on the ground, may keep her head down, and point her bottom up in the air with her hind legs “treading” this is where her legs move from side to side. You may notice her doing this more if you or a house guest pet her on her back near her tail. Your cat may also lick herself more than usual and may try to escape from the house.
The smartest thing to do if you are not breeding your cat is to get her spayed. However if that is simply not an option at this time, there are a few things that you can do to make things easier for everyone. As mentioned before when your cat is in heat she will be a lot more affectionate. One of the best ways to help calm her down is to give her lots of love and attention in return. If your cat is rolling around on the floor meowing constantly, why not pick her up and brush her or pet her for awhile? It will not stop her from behaving strangely altogether, but it will help her calm down sooner.
Another thing to remember is that your cat is going to be a lot more vocal during this time. It may try your patience at times and get very annoying! However it is important to remember that your cat is acting normally and going through a natural thing and that she is not misbehaving, she is simply acting according to nature’s course. When she meows excessively try not to scold her or get after her. It will only confuse her more as she will not understand why you are yelling at her or scolding her, and chances are if you scold her it will only make her meow more because cats actually don’t even communicate with other cats that much by meowing. This is a behavior that they use most with humans. So unless you want to go back and forth with a back talking cat, just keep your mouth shut and turn on some music to block it out! It’ll all be over soon enough.
Another thing you can try is to play with your cat a lot more. Since your cat is in heat she will have a lot more energy. Why not use that to your advantage and play fetch with her or do a few laps around the house with her and her favorite ball or mouse? This will tire kitty out and she will be more likely to take a nap instead of sitting and meowing excessively. It will at least buy you a few hours of peace and quiet. Another thing that I find helpful is to sometimes give her treats when she starts to roll around on the floor but hasn’t begun to meow much yet. It helps get her mind off of the things going on with her body and will distract her making her more likely to calm down. I find that by feeding my cat a few times a day it helps to keep her occupied for a few minutes. However its hard to keep your cat’s attention on food at a time like this and its normal for your cat’s appetite to decrease during her heat cycle. During this time you should be sure to keep plenty of fresh water down, because your cat will drink a lot more.
The best thing to do is to get your cat spayed as soon as possible, but if that’s not an option at this time these few steps will help make things run more smoothly. However it does take a lot of time and patience, and it won’t make your cat stop behaving strangely altogether. Do you and your cat a favor and get her spayed as soon as you can!
Article written based on personal experience.
Information on FIV researched from http://www.essortment.com/all/fiv_rfmq.htm
